Eating behavior of ballet dancers

Authors: A Dotti M Fioravanti M Balotta F Tozzi C Cannella R Lazzari

Publish Date: 2014/11/27

Volume: 7, Issue: 1, Pages: 60-67

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Abstract

Ballet dancers are frequently regarded as having a higher risk of developing eating disorders ED This paper describes the eating habits and prevalence of ED in a group of female students from a dance academy in Rome Italy Participants were assessed with an array of measures conventionally employed usually singly in epidemiological studies of ED namely an anthropometricalnutritional evaluation the EAT EDI and BUT questionnaires and the EDE interview The 160 students who agreed to participate were evaluated anthropometrically nutritionally and psychometrically and 83 underwent the EDE structured interview Their calorie intake was insufficient in all age groups in terms of the nutritional standards required by their daily physical activity EAT EDI and BUT enhanced concerns about dieting food intake control and body image The significance of the correlations between calorie intake and the EAT Dieting and the EDI Perfectionism and Interceptive Awareness scores increased in function of age Food weight and body image concerns increased with age and length of time in the ballet environment The reduced calorie intake was not necessarily linked to the presence of psychopathological signs

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